The present invention relates to an image processing device, an image processing method and an image processing program for editing the image layout on each page of a photo-content commodity such as a photo book composed of a plurality of pages.
The photo book is a service with which a user (photographer) transmits a plurality of images (image data) captured by, for example, a digital camera to a service provider through the Internet to create a photo album having a layout desired by the user. When creating a photo book, the user can select a desired template from a plurality of layout templates in which positions where images can be arranged are previously determined and determine as desired the number of pages of the photo book, images to be included in each page, and the layout of the images in each page.
A conventionally known photo book-creating method involves classifying images into groups in consideration of the continuity and relationship of the images, for example, based on the shooting time and automatically arranging (laying out) images included in each of the groups on their corresponding pages.
For example, JP 2009-223764 A describes an automatic album layout method which comprises classifying acquired images and selection images selected by a user from among the acquired images based on attributes such as subject, shooting time and shooting scene, making indices indicating the degree of importance of the selected images for each of the attributes based on the comparative results between the number of the acquired images and the number of the selected images, providing the indices to the selected images, and arranging and combining the images in the allocated regions of an album template.
JP 11-175533 A describes an image retrieval device which reads information containing a plurality of pieces of image information, automatically preparing retrieval information such as GPS information, date and time information and retrieval keyword (athletic meet) for each piece of the image information based on the read information, records the image information and the retrieval information in association with each other, compares an input retrieval condition with the retrieval information, extracts image information corresponding to the retrieval condition by retrieval and displays an image represented by the extracted image information on the screen.
JP 3528214 B proposes an image display method comprising setting classifying conditions for each page based on accessory information data concerning capture of image data and attached to the image data upon the capture thereof, classifying the image data for each page based on the accessory information data and the conditions, and displaying the classified image data on a display screen for each page.
JP 4438061 B describes a method of controlling an electronic album editing device which comprises retrieving similar image data from a plurality of pieces of image data, and displaying one of the similar image data in the editing area corresponding to a page of an electronic album as representative similar image data, the other similar image data in the evacuation area independent from the page of the electronic album, and similar image data associated with the specified representative similar image data in such a manner that such similar image data may be distinguished from other image data displayed in the evacuation area.